Hammerton's Ferry

Infobox London River Services
title=Hammerton's Ferry


image_caption =
transit_type = Passenger ferry
operator = Stan Rust
began_operation = 1909
length_km=0.12km
lines = 1
vessels = 1
terminals = 2
owner =Francis Spencer

Hammerton's Ferry is a pedestrian and cycle ferry service across the River Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, London, England. The ferry links the northern bank near Marble Hill House in Twickenham with the southern bank near Ham House in Ham. It is one of only four remaining ferry routes in London not to be replaced by a bridge or tunnel.

Historical background

Although ferries (and later bridges) had crossed the river to the east at Richmond since 1459 [cite journal | last =Reynolds | first =Susan | title =Twickenham: Introduction | journal =A History of the County of Middlesex | volume =3 | pages =139–147 | date =1962 | url =http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=22287 | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] and to the west at Eel Pie Island since at least 1652 the lands to the south of the river at this point had historically been privately held by the Tollemache family (owners of Ham House) and off limits to the public. Consequently, despite the distance from the nearest crossings there was little demand for cross-river services at this location. Additionally, the Tollemache family had licensing rights for the Twickenham Ferry at Eel Pie Island (sometimes known as Dysart's ferry after the family), and consequently had little interest in promoting a competing service. [cite web | title =Twickenham Ferry | publisher =The Twickenham Museum | url =http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=172 | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] The Twickenham Ferry is a setting for some action in Little Dorritt by Charles Dickens.

Walter Hammerton

In 1901 Marble Hill House on the north bank of the Thames and the surrounding park were purchased for public use [cite web | last =Tolhurst | first =Marilyn | title =Marble Hill House: Information for Teachers | publisher =English Heritage | date =1998 | url =http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/marble_hill_house.pdf | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] and in 1902 the footpath on the southern bank near Ham House became a public right of way by Act of Parliament [cite book | last =Slater | first =G | title =The English Peasantry and the Enclosure of Common Fields | publisher =Constable & Co | date =1907 | location =London | pages =337 | isbn =1421210827 ] resulting in increased passenger traffic in the area. In 1908 local resident Walter Hammerton began hiring out boats to leisure users from a boathouse opposite Marble Hill House, and in 1909 began to operate a regular ferry service across the river at this point using a 12-passenger clinker-built skiff,cite web | title =Museum in Docklands: Vessels | publisher =Museum of London | url =http://www.museumindocklands.org.uk/English/Collections/Artefact/Vessels.htm | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] charging 1d per journey.cite web | title =Walter Hammerton's Ferry | publisher =The Twickenham Museum | url =http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.asp?ContentID=230 | accessdate =2007-12-30 ]

Legal challenge

In 1913 William Champion, and Lord Dysart, operators of the nearby Twickenham Ferry, took legal action against Hammerton to remove his right to operate the ferry. [cite web | title =Hammerton's Ferry, Ham | publisher =Old Father Thames | url =http://www.old-father-thames.co.uk/sector04/0104HTML/ad043025.html | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] Although Hammerton won the initial case, the judgement was reversed on appeal. Following considerable public interest in the case, a public subscription raised the funds for Hammerton to take the case to the House of Lords, who ruled in his favour on 23 July 1915.

The legal case resulted in considerable publicity for Hammerton, culminating in the release of the song "The Ferry to Fairyland" celebrating the case. ("Fairyland", in this case, referring to Marble Hill House, recently purchased by the London County Council for public enjoyment.)

In 1947 Hammerton retired after 38 years of operating the ferry, leaving the ferry & boathouse to Sandy Scott.

imagestack

Current operation

The ferry is currently owned by Francis SpencerCitation | last =Blades | first =Hollye | title =Hero of Thames Rescue | newspaper =Richmond & Twickenham Times | date =2007-07-18 | url =http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1552311.0.hero_of_thames_rescue.php ] and operated by Stan Rust. [Citation | last =Mayes | first =Robert | title =River Recluse's Home is an Eyesore Say Neighbours | newspaper =Richmond & Twickenham Times | date =2003-02-07 | url =http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/search/display.var.269433.0.river_recluses_home_is_an_eyesore_say_neighbours.php ] The current ferry, "Peace of Mind", was built at Teddington in 1997. [cite book | last =Hatts | first =Leigh | title =The Thames Path:From the Sea to the Source | publisher =Cicerone Press Ltd | date =2005 | location =Milnthorpe | isbn =1852844361 ] Hammerton's original skiff is now on display at the Museum in Docklands.

The ferry currently operates between a floating boathouse on the north bank of the Thames and a rudimentary jetty on the south bank. The boathouse is also in use as a private mooring for leisure craft. [cite web | title =Marinas, Moorings, Boatyards, Consultants, Equipment Suppliers & Services | publisher =The Yacht Harbour Association Ltd | url =http://www.britishmarine.co.uk/DocImages/ForceDownload.asp?id=76 | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] The ferry operates on all weekends, and weekdays between February and October. [Citation | last =Hoggart | first =Simon | author-link =Simon Hoggart | title =Suburban Hymn | newspaper =The Guardian | date =2001-08-18 | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2001/aug/18/london.unitedkingdom.walkingholidays?page=all ] As well as the ferry service, rowboats, canoes and motorboats can also be hired from the boathouse. [cite web | title =Interim Report of the Centre Working Party | work =Appendix 7: River-related Users of the Eel Pie Centre | publisher =Twickenham Riverside Redevelopment | date =2000-04-13 | url =http://www.rivercentre.org.uk/centre_report/appendix7.htm | accessdate =2007-12-30 ]

In July 2007 the ferry briefly made headlines when owner Francis Spencer saved from drowning a woman found floating in the Thames. [Citation | last =Newstead | first =Sarah | title =Drowning Lady Pulled from River | newspaper =Richmond & Twickenham Times | date =2007-07-05 | url =http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.1524057.0.drowning_lady_pulled_from_river.php ] After the rescue, the woman left the scene and was never identified.

A local tradition holds that a tunnel connects Ham House and Marble Hill House, paralleling the route of the ferry. [cite web | last =Day | first =Martyn | title =55 Fascinating & Half-forgotten Facts & Folklore You Might Not Know About Our Neighbourhood | publisher =North St Margaret's Residents Association | date =2005 | url =http://www.nsmra.co.uk/55things.html | accessdate =2007-12-30 ] However, there is no evidence that this is the case.

The ferry marks the starting point of the Great River Race and is on the course of the Twickenham Regatta. As the ferry has right-of-way over rowed craft, the races have to be carefully timed to ensure that the ferry does not interfere with their running. [cite web | title =Twickenham Regatta Safety Instructions | publisher =Twickenham Rowing Club | date =2007-05-26 | url =http://www.twickenham-regatta.org/TwAR07-Safety-Instructions.doc | accessdate =2007-12-30 ]

ee also

*Crossings of the River Thames

Image gallery

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = River Thames
upstream=Teddington Lock Footbridge|downstream=Richmond Bridge|bridge = Hammertons Ferry

References